Sporoplasm is an infectious material present in the cytoplasm of various fungi-like organisms, such as members of class Microsporidia. Sporoplasm is defined as a mass of protoplasm that gives rise to or forms a spore. The protoplasmic body that is released as an infective amoebula from a cnidosporidian cyst.[1]

Figure showing stage in which sporoplasm is injected into host cells via polar tube.
Figure showing process by which a sporoplasm is injected into host cells via polar tube (stage 3).

Mode of infection

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It is injected to host cell through a coiled polar tube which acts as a spring-like tubular extrusion mechanism. It is mainly involved in the asexual cycle of the organism.

Reproduction

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Inside the host cell, the sporoplasm multiplies to generate meronts, cells with loosely organized organelles enclosed in a simple plasma membrane.[2] Multiplication occurs either by merogony (binary fission) or schizogony (multiple fission) or plasmotomy (division of nucleus without relation to cytoplasm to produce multi-nucleated offspring).

References

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  1. ^ "Definition of SPOROPLASM". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  2. ^ "MICROSPORIDIA". web.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-31.